We had the pork belly special sandwich. It was phenomenal. We also had the hash brown cheese balls…read moredeep fried. They were great.

Kick ass place. You have to try it. Im not a theme restaurant kind of guy but its rarely a deal…read morebreaker. Its hardly an afterthought when the food is this good.

"I do not disagree with their name," says my friend visiting from out of state after enjoying his…read moreburger and fried mushrooms. I had the delicious BBQ pork burger with cheese and enjoyed its glorious Smokey flavor. I can't say I've been to that many burger cafe's but this was definitely a great experience. The staff/cook crew were extremely friendly. I was nervous by the long line, but they grilled the food up pretty quick and it was all fab. Enjoyed drinks came with meal. Definitely recommend!

Is this absolutely MY best (aka favorite) burger...? Is it the best burger I've personally had in…read moreIowa...? Probably not. BUT it is the best burger I've ever had out of a gas station in Iowa...! Actually... I'm not exactly sure which way this place actually goes... Is this a gas station that sells food... Or a restaurant that sells gas? Potato...potatoe! Lol And it IS a very good burger overall too...! But not only do they serve burgers... They have other menu selections... Mostly all deep fried and grill options... And ice cream! I've seen signs for Iowa's Best Burger Cafe for years while running back and forth on I-80 from the Des Moines metro... Kellogg is about halfway between Newton and Grinnell. We've never stopped here until this past weekend when we were on our way home from the What Cheer IA flea market... Iowa's Best Burger Cafe is just off the highway... The first thing I noticed as the GPS said our route was about to end... It looked like it ended at an Amoco gas station... Huh? And then I noticed the signage for the Iowa's Best Burger Cafe on the building... Oh... So we're here...? Not exactly what I expected..., but I eat at food trucks too so it wasn't going to stop me. I did glance at my girlfriend to see if I could tell whether she was feeling it or not... I think she was just really hungry at that point and didn't really care. Lol There's ample parking. As you enter the building it kind of looks like a standard gas station convenience store...until you turn and look to your Right. Red plastic booth seating. There are two counters and a case that sit adjacent to one another. The counter you order at also displays the ice cream. There's a case displaying some ready to eat options. The register is on a shorter counter closest to the entrance. It's an open kitchen. There is also another small room of seating further to the left as you face the counters. The tables are kind of faux marble. Napkins, salt, pepper, ketchup, and mustard are available in each booth. We were greeted as we walked and I let them know it was our first time there and we didn't know the drill. They let us know you order standing there at the counter. Take a seat. They bring the food out to you when it's ready. You pay at the register when you are done. Cash or card...and there is an ATM on site. They bus your table. There are a couple of menu placards on the counter where you place your order... The 16 flavors of ice cream selection are plainly labeled. The two ladies behind the counter were very helpful and were both personable! We ordered: 2x half pound burger combos (one with cheese, bacon, onions and pickles and one with cheese, onions, pickles, mayo, and lettuce) 1x upgraded side to garlic mushrooms 1x upgraded side to onion rings 2x fountain drinks (Coke products...comes with combo) 1x mozarella sticks 1x two scoop bowl of ice cream 1x single cone of ice cream The wait for food wasn't long. Everything was served hot and fresh! They'd asked us if we wanted ranch... My girlfriend always wants ranch! Not only did they bring us ranch... They brought us a HUGE squeeze bottle of ranch! This is how every restaurant should bring you ranch! While we dined in (as did a couple of other customers) most of the business appeared to be take out. One pro tip... The standard half pound burger comes with two patties. I heard a customer ask a guy, at the booth next to her, how many patties he had on his burger... Huh? He had four patties on his burger... A full pounder! So there has to be a way to add an additonal patty (or patties) too... If you want a bigger burger... Ask...! The bathrooms...not horrible. The food was all great. Good service. No complaints. I wouldn't hesitate to stop in here again! And I know what to expect next time...!

Absolutely LOVE Big Heads! Everything in there is delicious!! You can get a bangin' smash burger or…read morea juicy better than Chick Fil A chicken sandwich!! Their fries are generously seasoned and the onion rings are HUGE! The cherry on top is super friendly staff! They get to know their repeat customers and treat them like family!

Would not recommend to anyone with food allergies…read more I have a nut allergy and asked the employee if the vegan cheese contained nuts (vegan cheese is often made with cashews or almonds). He had no idea, and worse, told me the restaurant didn't even have the packaging or ingredient list to check. A restaurant that can't answer a simple allergen question shouldn't be in business. Totally irresponsible; shows a lack of care

When traveling, I always visit local, independent restaurants. The Map Room is a gem!…read more A wide variety of burgers, with house made vegan options. Indoor and outdoor seating. Great decor and comfortable booths. Fantastic service! Attentive without hovering. 10/10

Went here for lunch and it's a nice little cozy local restaurant. Lots of booths and a dim lit bar…read more Their variety of burgers is what makes this place special. There's flavor combinations I wouldn't have thought of trying. The actual burger was good but not great. For a burger joint that charges a premium price, I expect a juicy burger. The meat quality had a few bits of gristle and it wasn't super juicy. It was a bit dry and cooked well done. The fries you could tell were just frozen fries. There's really only street parking or a public parking lot on the same street. However, the restaurant validate parking for the first hour, which is nice. Overall, this place was good but not great. However, the service was great! Friendly staff and it took maybe less than 10 minutes for the food to be ready

I have given these guys three times to improve and they just can't do it. Today I ordered a Rachel…read morewith baked potato. Who makes a Rachel without Thousand Island dressing? These guys. The turkey lacked flavor, so was way overpowered by the kraut. The baked potato clearly had been baked days before, then a weak attempt to reheat was made. It didn't even start to melt the butter. Mealy and gross.

We came for the Mother's Day brunch buffet and had a very disappointing experience. The brunch was…read moreadvertised as running until 1:00 PM, and reservations were still being accepted up until that time. However, when our party arrived for our 12:30 reservation, almost all of the food was gone and nothing was being refilled, despite there still being 30 minutes left in service. The little food that was available wasn't even very good, and everyone in our group left hungry. The service was also extremely poor. After ordering drinks, we waited about 15 minutes to receive them, and by then we had already finished the minimal food we were able to get. Throughout the rest of the meal, we were largely ignored and had no idea how to even check out. While the manager did comp 50% off the buffet cost, we still paid full price for drinks. For a group of six, we spent around $80 and left disappointed, hungry, and frustrated. This event was clearly not planned well, and both the food quality and service need major improvement.

We were just passing thru and stoped on a whim and the food was delicious. I love falafel and they…read morehave the best I've ever had! The pistachio baklava is also fantastic. My husband and I will definitely be back.

I chose this restaurant based on its great reviews, but unfortunately, my experience was very…read moredisappointing. When I walked in to pick up my order, the employee assembling my food wiped her gloved hands on her pants before continuing to prepare my meal. She also used those same gloves, which were covered in food and sauce, to bag my order. The outside of the takeout containers and bag was greasy, and after seeing how my food was handled, I couldn't get past it. I only ate a few bites before losing my appetite. I also got the pita chips, but they were extremely dark and tasted like old oil, as if they had been overcooked or fried more than once. We had been driving all day and were passing through, so I was really looking forward to a good meal. Instead, I left feeling disappointed and honestly grossed out. I hope the restaurant takes food handling and quality control more seriously because the reviews led me to expect a much better experience.

Great food! Very nice people! Smash burgers were excellent! Also food was ready very quick. Highly…read morerecommend stop in and trying everything they have on the menu!

We got Da Bomb⁣ Burger and Burger in a Haystack⁣. Great,…read moreattentive service on a Friday night. Wasn't too much crowded at all during dinner so wondering if it starts coming alive at night We love loaded burgers in general and these fries were reeeeally good, with ranch of course! ⁣

food is good, some one working here kept flipping me and my daughter off for no reason. It made me…read moreand my daughter uncomfortable and made us leave.

Didn't give me ranch, and my Big Mac wasn't even put together the bun and patty were pretty much…read moreout of the box

Went to this place on a whim and was not disappointed. The service was fast even though there was…read moreonly one server when we got in there, he was kind and very helpful when we had questions. The area and ambiance of the restaurant is very unique and lovely! The food was the star of the show and made us question ever second guessing this place. We will be back for sure! If you're looking for quick and easy but tasty sliders and sides, this is the place for you!

Food was excellent. Service was great. Attentive and pleasant. Great sliders…read more Good location

THICK, perfectly medium pink (you specify your desired doneness), juicy burgers were the craving of…read morethe day. And such inventive topping combos to choose from! Note: For anything in the 'Burger' section of the menu, you can sub the beef for chicken or black bean burger. The beef patties were HUGE - probably 1/2 pound . And no skimping on the toppings here so go there really hungry or split with a friend. They were messy, drippy, and once you pick the sucker up, you hang on for dear life so the bun or toppings don't slide off. To me, this is the way a truly great burger needs to be! So, prepare yourself - lots of napkins are your friends... Burgers come w/hand cut fries that are beautifully browned. Unfortunately, I opted for carryout so I knew the fries would not be very crispy due to steaming a bit during transit. I'd recommend eating fries there on-site as they will be MUCH better. So why 4 stars vs. 5?? The burger was begging for a better sear and was barely browned.

I don't live in Iowa City anymore but whenever I'm back for work, Shorts is a place I make sure to…read morestop by. They usually have one of my favorite beers on draft--Blonde Fatale. Their menu has a variety of burgers which can all be subbed out for grilled chicken or a veggie patty. Their fries are some of my favorite I've had, and I love to have a good dipping sauce with my fries so I usually ask for the garlic aioli. They also have shorts sauce on the table which is mildly spicy with good flavor. The restaurant is small and dark, so if you come during busy hours you may have to wait a bit for your table.